Korean Nurses' Experience of Preparing for and Taking the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses
Received 19 October 2009; received in revised form 19 October 2009; accepted 25 November 2009.
Purpose
This study explores the Korean nurses' experience of preparing for and taking the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) in order to provide a deeper understanding of their experiences.
Method
The study utilizes the qualitative research method, Colaizzi's phenomenological methodology. Twenty-six Korean nurses were interviewed using semi-structured research questions and their interviews were analyzed.
Results
Seven clusters of themes emerged: (a) motivation; (b) flow in studying, (c) expansion of nursing knowledge for nursing practice; (d) reflections of nursing practice and attitude toward themselves; (e) time management struggles; (f) increased self-confidence and self-esteem; (g) setting a new life direction and new challenges. In general, our analyses demonstrated that the nurses' experiences of preparing for and taking the NCLEX-RN showed positive impacts on the nurses, psychologically, intellectually and interpersonally.
Conclusion
The results suggest that developing NCLEX-RN preparation programs is needed to promote global capabilities for nurses and nursing students. Further studies on the effect of exposure to the NCLEX-RN exam while nursing school for nurses is recommended.
ABSTRACT